VPO Forum London – 19 June 2019

In London on Jun 19 our Vessel Performance Optimisation forum will review developments in how shipping companies are making their vessel operations more efficient, including routing, propulsion and machinery. We’ll also look at some of the latest technologies including machine learning on vessel data, voyage planning, satellite communications, propulsion data and shaft torque power.

Our speakers and panel participants will include Captain Patrick Joseph, UIRTUS Marine Services, former head of global vetting, BP; Sunit Das, director of operations with The Hadley Shipping; and Sebastian Ebbing, Fleet Performance Management with Claus-Peter Offen Containerschiffreederei (GmbH & Co.) KG. Chaired by Jakub Buus Petersen, Director of Vessel Performance Solutions, former Head of Department, Vessel Performance, Maersk Maritime Technology, and panel chaired by Mike Powell, Founder Cardinal Point Maritime, former head of operations with Union Maritime and global head of operations with Maersk Tankers.

When optimising our vessels, gathering data is a relatively easy part of it, getting useful understanding from it is much harder. And making better decisions is better still. Optimising vessels means making better decisions about routing or speed. Or operating pumps or generators onboard in a different way, or changing the maintenance plan. Or making better decisions about ship design and equipment. It requires a model of the ship as it is, a model of the ship as it could be, and an ability to work out the difference, and whether the change is worth it.

Even predictive analytics, thought to be a ‘no brainer’ as a way to reduce maintenance costs, turns out much harder than expected – after implementing complex predictive maintenance schemes, some drilling vessel operators have found they made barely any savings or reliability improvements compared to planned maintenance programs.

Optimising vessels is ultimately about learning what works better, understanding the results of what you did, and being motivated to care.

And the 2020 fuel rules create an additional layer of complexity. Higher fuel costs mean higher incentive to cut costs. And nobody knows how much higher the fuel costs will be. Certainly vessel operations will get more expensive and improving performance will get more critical.